diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 490e1bb55..5dcd87b56 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -433,11 +433,13 @@ if(BUILD_LIBRARY)
             IMPORTED_LOCATION ${LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR}/lib64/libzip.a)
     add_dependencies(zip libzip_project)
 
-    # just pull from the system until I figure out how to integrate these deps
-    # into the build
-    add_library(expat SHARED IMPORTED)
+    ExternalProject_Get_Property(libexpat_project INSTALL_DIR)
+    set(LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR ${INSTALL_DIR})
+    include_directories(${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR}/include)
+    add_library(expat STATIC IMPORTED)
     set_target_properties(expat PROPERTIES
-            IMPORTED_LOCATION /usr/lib64/libexpat.so)
+            IMPORTED_LOCATION ${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR}/lib64/libexpat.a)
+    add_dependencies(expat libexpat_project)
 
     add_subdirectory(library)
     install(FILES LICENSE.rst docs/changelog.txt DESTINATION ${DFHACK_USERDOC_DESTINATION})
diff --git a/depends/CMakeLists.txt b/depends/CMakeLists.txt
index d5669080e..9735e7fc7 100644
--- a/depends/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/depends/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@ option(CLSOCKET_DEP_ONLY "Build for use inside other CMake projects as dependenc
 add_subdirectory(clsocket)
 ide_folder(clsocket "Depends")
 
+set(LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/libexpat)
+ExternalProject_Add(libexpat_project
+    PREFIX      libexpat
+    SOURCE_DIR  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/libexpat/expat
+    INSTALL_DIR ${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR}
+    BUILD_BYPRODUCTS ${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR}/lib64/libexpat.a
+    CMAKE_ARGS  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DEXPAT_BUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DEXPAT_BUILD_TESTS=OFF -DEXPAT_BUILD_TOOLS=OFF -DEXPAT_SHARED_LIBS=OFF -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON
+)
+
 set(LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/libzip)
 ExternalProject_Add(libzip_project
     PREFIX      libzip
@@ -33,7 +42,7 @@ ExternalProject_Add(xlsxio_project
     SOURCE_DIR  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/xlsxio
     INSTALL_DIR ${XLSXIO_INSTALL_DIR}
     BUILD_BYPRODUCTS ${XLSXIO_INSTALL_DIR}/lib/libxlsxio_read.a
-    CMAKE_ARGS  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${XLSXIO_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_STATIC=ON -DBUILD_SHARED=OFF -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DBUILD_TOOLS=OFF -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DBUILD_DOCUMENTATION=OFF -DWITH_LIBZIP=ON -DZLIB_DIR=${ZLIB_DIR}
+    CMAKE_ARGS  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${XLSXIO_INSTALL_DIR} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DBUILD_STATIC=ON -DBUILD_SHARED=OFF -DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=ON -DBUILD_TOOLS=OFF -DBUILD_EXAMPLES=OFF -DBUILD_DOCUMENTATION=OFF -DWITH_LIBZIP=ON -DZLIB_DIR=${ZLIB_DIR} -DLIBZIP_DIR=${LIBZIP_INSTALL_DIR} -DEXPAT_DIR=${LIBEXPAT_INSTALL_DIR}
 )
-    #-DLIBZIP_DIR=
-    #-DEXPAT_DIR=
+add_dependencies(xlsxio_project libexpat_project)
+add_dependencies(xlsxio_project libzip_project)